"And it's Phoenix VS Gama!" Koto announced it to the crowd. "You may begin."
I took a few cautious steps to the side as my eye remained glued on my opponent. He looked like an empty canvas compared to the image Akio had shown me in my dream, but maybe he is like this without those strange paints on his body. Gama's hands began to move and each pulls out something from his side. At first, I thought they were small daggers, but when the enchantment disappeared from their surface, they were actually paintbrushes.
"Tell me human, what does the word 'make-up' bring to mind?" Gama asked me as he crossed his, possibly weapons in an 'x' shape in front of himself. I said nothing and just stayed in my stance. "Human females no doubt. A little gloss to attract the next mate. Disgusting isn't it?" I mentally shook my head at his sexist statement but kept my guard up. "The way humans manage to bastardize everything they touch? Though, over centuries, human influence has infected the Spirit World as well." The tip of his brushes then made their way upon his face.
"Now a few demons know it's original power." Then he began to. . . paint. . . The very first thing that I noticed was there was nothing on the brushes when he pulled them out, so the source must be something different. The tip of the brushes kept on leaving many trails and curls on the demon's skin and while doing so, I also felt that gut feeling screaming to me, meaning the danger will be coming soon, so like always, I mentally prepare for the madness to come.
Once Gama finished with his art work he placed his brushed back into their places while his Spirit Energy began to rise.
"Allow me to show you!" He told me before letting his power spread around the air like the warmth of a wildfire in the forest.
"Now I haven't seen that one before." The fox-girl commented. "Gama has covered his body with some sort of face paint and now his spirit energy is going insane."
Without any further, he charged at me with an incredible speed. Luckily I jumped out of his fist's way and judging by the crushing sound, he definitely created a hole into the ring. Once I landed on my feet, he continued to throw assaults at me, but I dodged each attempt.
"Gama's decorations really seem to boost his power! Phoenix can't even squeeze in the counter-attack!" Koto's words kind of made me think this time, but I haven't got more time for that because I just kept dodging the bastard's punches. Once again, he almost crushed me for the second time of this round, but he instead hit the rock bottom again.
"You may be fast, but you still have a body of a fragile human!" Gama yelled before keeping up throwing his legs and fists toward me. However, when I landed back onto the ground I lost my footing and feel my body fell to the side. From then on the entire fight slowed down like in those action movies. My gaze saw Gama running toward me for that split second, his hand reaching for his brushes again.
That's when my instincts kicked in and my brain went on full bending mode. My hand dug into the ring's floor and then ripped out a huge rock piece out of it, throwing it directly at Gama's face who got hit by it and land on his back grunting.
"Wow, that was some painful but effective attack!" Koto exclaimed. "Just when Gama was about to reach Phoenix, he turned the table's on him with a rock in the face! Might as well call it a perfect headshot!"
"You really thought you can stop me with some stupid rock?!" The painted demon taunted me.
Alright, he asked for it.
Then that means time to improvise again.
Gama charged at me with full speed, but I didn't stay still. I stomped my feet onto the ground and began to summon and kick huge boulders at my opponent.
That didn't do much sadly because they will break into dust by Gama's fists.
"Now that's a surprise-!" Koto said but her own scream cut herself off, probably because almost got hit by a giant rock.
"You can't throw these rocks at me forever!" Gama's voice said to me, but I just gave him another rock instead, which he exploded with his hands.
Now he was getting closer to my aura. With a backflip, I dodged the first one. I deflected the second one by creating a rock shield, then I boosted myself away from his reach.
"Phoenix had thrown much more rocks than his opponent had thrown punches at him, and now he retreated by boosting himself up in the air, away from Gama!" That announcer kept on going with pure excitement.
My small break from the punches only lasted for three whole seconds before I see Gama once again sprinting toward me. I got up from the ground and quickly stomped another boulder piece out of the ring again and kick it toward Gama. He of course crushed it into pieces. Just as I tried to repeat the same method, the demon came faster and clawed into my face that not only left a mark on my cheek but ripped my scar-mask off of my face. When I turn my head, I see my opponent try to reach me with his brushes again. With quick thinking, I raised up a fist and used air bending to blew Gama away from me.
It helped me. . . but it was also a big mistake on my part because right before he was blown away, he still got me with those paintbrushes. It left a mark on me with some kind of dark paint, but that also confused me because it was not there before.
"WHAT?!?!" Koto cried out in disbelief. "First rocks and now he blows his enemy away with air?! How many tricks does Phoenix hide under his sleeves." Once both me and Gama recovered from the ground I turn to Koto for a moment, which for some reason caused her to gasp. "And to add more to the shock list, his mask had also been removed from. . . uh. . . from her face!" Now that made me froze for a moment before my hand grabbed onto the now ripped off fabric.
Shit.
"A human female?" The Demon in front of me asked with a little surprised expression, before twisting it in a look of disgust. "How convenient." He sarcastically added with venom dripping from his tone.
I was about to get into a stance again, only to feel my hand pulling me down by something heavy. I looked down at my hand and see that black mark painted onto my blue glove.
"What the hell?" I growled under my breath as I tried to keep that hand up with my free one.
"Your arm feels like it's being held down by a giant block, doesn't it little girl?" Gama asked me with a sinister laugh making me turn to him with a glare.
"So let me guess: if you keep on marking me with that curse I won't be able to move any of my limbs?" I coldly stated as I kept myself up as best as I can. The answer was a burst of taunting laughter from him, which made me feel annoyed, but I just swallowed that down and kept my stance.
"Why try to fight the inevitable?" Gama asked cockily as he began to make his way toward me, waving his hand that held one of his paintbrushes. I kept my mouth shut still and just began to drag myself away, but my physical being didn't turn out to be good enough. This of course made the demon laugh at me. "The make-up of death had already marked you brat." He sneered at me. "There's no hope to escape."
Maybe. . . But I won't stop trying. . .
"Gama's make-up seems to take on a reverse effect when painted on its enemy." The lady pointed out the obvious. "And with Phoenix barely able to walk, Gama is slowly moving like a tiger stalking his wounded pray."
Come on brain, think! What can I do now?
Of course, there was not much time and Gamma launched himself toward me. I clenched my still useful hand into a fist and began to shot air blasts at Gama repeatedly. Sadly, he was now able to dodge them. Even my feet joined into this, but that was still not good enough.
My attacks felt pathetic, but at the moment, I didn't know what else to do. I have many ways to defeat him, but how can I do that?
Me and my stupid curiosity. What was I thinking?!
I mean. . . I still feel conflicted about fighting this team! What would Akio say if I end up-!
Eventually, my opponent's presence appeared behind me, and before I was able to get away it was too late. My other arm and both of my legs were marked as well.
"The costume is completed!" The demon said before he landed back onto his ring. "The make-up of chains." I looked down at myself. None of my libs can move, meaning I was completely stuck on the stop, trapped and vulnerable.
"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath.
"Go ahead, just try to limp away now." Gama mocked me, which made me glare up at him, but I stopped and tried to think of something because I know this won't help my case much. . . Not like I was able to do that in the first place.
"GET RID OF THE OUTFIT!" I hear my brother yell at me.
"Hah, don't be naïve." Gama told my brother off. "Even is she has the strength to do it, it wouldn't change a thing. Merely two-thousand pounds of weight has chained directly to her skin."
Damn it. That's more weight that I managed to carry in Genkai's and Yara's training. I couldn't do much, but watch as Gama was zig zagging all around the place like Rinku did with Kuwabara. Then I shot my stare down to my limps and arms, trying to think of something quick. That's when I looked at my leather pouch I had around my waist. Ruby also gave me hers.
I know how much I am not really advanced with the other two elements. . . but the water, however. . . . That's somewhat a different story. My eye closed and I began to concentrate on that fully, blocking the distractions while detecting Gama's presence as well.
As I wait patiently, feel my left shoulder warm up again, like it was trying to tell me something. I knew it was warning me about Gama, but I still waited for the best moment to come.
'I'm sorry Akio for what I'm about to do. . .' I told in my mind, reminding myself to talk to him later on when it's over. . . 'But this case gives me no choice. . . Please forgive me. . . ' As much as I still hate it. . . I know I have no other choice but to do this. . . .
For my teams sake. . . and for the ones I am fighting for.
"NOW, DIE YOU FILTHY BITCH!" Gama screamed at me. I open my eye and see he was ready to deliver the final blow. I said nothing and just moved my head and upper body as best as I can. I feel the hood coming off of my head and my hair was getting wet by the water that surrounded it. I see the water whip on it that had a huge and sharp ice blade in its end, slashing at the demon before me.
He landed on his knees with cuts that were open wide and the purple blood was literally flowing out of them like a never-ending waterfall. He looked at me with a look of surprise and shock written on his face.
"But. . . the makeup of chains. . ." Gama coughed as he glanced at me and my weapon.
"Only an amateur would depend on arms and legs." I said, but not as Phoenix, but as Miyuki, now that the previous injury from him and this trick exposed my identity.
[Water Whip - Art by me]
"Wow, what an unbelievable 180 people!" Koto cried out. "Gama almost getting his kill, but Phoenix took hers within the last second after many attempts."
"WAY TO GO SIS, ONE DOWN!" I hear Yusuke praise me. However, I keep myself blank and calm, having a feeling that this is far from over.
"Damn you." Gama growled at me with his cracking voice. "Don't take the credit for this." He then stood up shakily, the massive amount of blood just keeps dripping from his wounds. "I killed myself today, but with the mistake of not sealing your energy away."
"Save your breath, it's no use." I told him coldly as my water whip returned back to the pouches. "I know you still have some energy left within you. So why not use it to keep yourself alive instead of fooling around pointlessly?"
"No one is gonna order me around and tell me what to do." The demon snarled as he began to walk up to me. "Especially not a disgusting excuse of a creature. . . like yourself!" Once he got close, he began to again throw punches at me, but they were weak and slow. While doing that, I feel my clothes getting dirty with his blood. Gama continued on with his act for a while, constantly letting. . .
I feel my eye go wide and looked at my clothing. My blood ran cold when I saw the pattern forming on me. . . his blood. . .
Sadly the realization came too late and by now Gama just let himself drop at my feet, now bleeding to death. . .
I look at the demon with anger but then I look at myself horrified. As Koto began to count all I could think of is how much of a fool I am. . .
How my carelessness led me to this. . . and at this point . . . my team as well. . .
"So you have noticed. . ." A voice croaked from the floor making my eye glare down at the damned bastard who was smirking up at me. "For a weak human girl, you can catch up to a few things."
"What, did you do to me!?!" I demanded with a low growl that only he can hear.
"You never asked what gave my make-up power." Gama coughed while laughing at me. "What made it so different from the ones you human female fools use. The difference is the main ingredient little girl. . . it's made out of my own. . . blood. . ." My entire mind went blank as the information sinks in. I looked down at the patterns, only to see a symbol appear right in front of my chest. "I have given you. . . the makeup. . . of seal."
"I am definitely not liking the sound of that!" I hear Yusuke comment and I mentally agree with him while scolding myself for letting this happen.
"It's what I should have done from the start. . ." Gama kept on talking, his voice getting weaker by the second. "I've sealed your spirit energy. Your entire power is trapped inside your body. . . even as I fade, the effects will live on. . . I have set victory for my shinobi set. And so I die, knowing that it's not in vain. . ." He then coughed up blood before falling to the ground.
However, I still hear him talk under his breath. "If only. . . Akio is able to see. . . how far we had gotten. . ." With that, he took his last breath and he was no more. . .
That last sentence stunned me a little, but my mind automatically went back to the main issue. My powers are sealed within me. . . meaning I won't be able to use any element or source from the outside world. . . One of the worst nightmares for benders in general.
"And Ten!" Koto's counting had finished. Oh, shit. "The Urameshi Team takes the first point. Will the next fighter please approach the ring?" On cue my next opponent comes in, his cloak hiding his entire identity.
However, I knew who it was because I heard him talk before. When he threw the disguise away I feel my heart stopped beating because of the amount of guilt I am feeling at the moment. . .
"Toya. . ." I breathed his name under my breath as I looked at his features that are totally identical to the ones I had seen.
I took a deep breath and kept myself as steady as possible I can be in this unbelievable position I am in at the moment. . .